For the Sake of an Angel
by orchids117
Summary: PREQUEL to "One May Face a World of Demons". All Jenny ever wanted was a family and a home, so when River Song takes her to a man that can offer her all of that she jumps at the chance. But there's a price to be paid for happily ever after. To get her happy ending, Jenny must join the Silence.


**This story was originally part of the "One May Face a World of Demons" extra content package I had under this title. I have since decided to separate the extra epilogues from this one shot about how Jenny came to be adopted by the Tylers. If anyone would still like to read that extra content it can be found under the title "What Might Have Been".**

 **Disclaimer: All rights to Doctor Who belong to the BBC.**

* * *

 **For the Sake of an Angel.**

Jenny had never been what you might call a "typical" girl. She never understood the point of princesses, she was rarely in school, and she had no friends.

Of course, none of that was ever really her fault.

For as long as she could remember, Jenny had never lived in one place longer than a week. The first twelve years of her childhood were spent following her mother from place to place.

The first six years hadn't been so bad. Her mum had a lot of family that was willing to take the two of them in. But as time wore on, the number of people willing to open their doors to the two of them grew smaller and smaller, until there was no one left at all. Jenny's mum was an addict and a kleptomaniac at best, and a pathological liar on top of everything else at worst. She would steal hundreds of dollars from the family members they were staying with to sustain her habits. This would then lead to the inevitable fallout between her and yet another person on their short list of allies.

By the time Jenny was eight, they were living on the streets.

That last year before she was finally rescued from her mother was the darkest time in young Jenny's life. Fortunately—at least in her mind—though, her mum was arrested for the possession of narcotics and Jenny was quickly taken from her.

The next four years her life were spent moving from foster home to foster home. At first she had been hopeful of finally having a place to settle, but as the years flew by she slowly began to let go of that dream. By the time she was twelve, she had a new dream. She would finish secondary school and start working. It wouldn't be a spectacular life, but at least she would have one place to call home.

It was shortly after the formation of this dream that she met a girl who would change all of that.

Jenny snorted when she caught sight of a floppy haired kid with an outrageous chin drop the stack of books he was carrying. He'd been struggling with it for a little less than five minutes now and Jenny had seen his arms shaking with effort long before the pile had crashed to the ground.

"Pathetic, isn't he?" a voice purred off to her left.

She glanced over to find a girl with curly blond hair and bright blue eyes watching the poor kid as he scrambled to reassemble his stack.

Jenny shrugged. "I feel a little bad for him, actually."

"I don't see you helping him, though," she said, and smirked when Jenny didn't respond. She then held out her hand. "I'm River Song, by the way."

Jenny stared at her outstretched hand before shaking it cautiously. "Jenny."

"I see you in here a lot," River commented.

She shrugged. "I've got nowhere better to be."

"No friends?"

She let out a short laugh. "Not really, no."

"Why not?"

Jenny kept her eyes on her book. She didn't like the way this girl was prying. "What's it to you?"

River shrugged. "You seem like the type to have lots of friends."

Jenny snorted. "Well I don't."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw River smirk at her again before she stood. "See you around, Jenny."

The next couple of weeks continued much the same way. Jenny would come to the library and River would either be there or she would eventually show up. And it took a while, but eventually the two of them would simply set the books aside and talk. Jenny was still hesitant to call her a friend, but at this point she would definitely call River a friendly acquaintance.

So when Jenny spent a better part of her day being screamed at by her foster parents, she was actually happy to come into the library to see River.

"Jenny, what happened?" River demanded as she approached their table.

Jenny's hand came up to cover the bruise on her cheek. "Nothing." She rolled her eyes when River raised an eyebrow. "I fell. It's fine."

"Do you fall a lot?" River asked.

She shrugged. "What's it to you?"

Her acquaintance bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder before she grabbed Jenny's wrist. "C'mon."

Jenny let River pull her into one of the most secluded corners of the library before she pulled her arm back. "Why are we back here?"

River sucked in a deep breath. "Jen, what if I told you there's a man who can help you?"

Jenny blinked, and crossed her arms. "I'm listening."

Her friend smirked. "His name is Simeon, and he can help you make something of your life."

In the end, she took the offer. She didn't like Simeon. She didn't like anything he represented. But she couldn't pass up the chance for a better life. Maybe even a fantastic one.

She did have one condition though. She would only join the Silence if they could provide her with a family. A real one. She may have given up that dream long ago, but she'd never truly forgotten it. She still wanted a home.

They agreed, and she spent a year in training after the Silence rescued her from her foster home. And finally, on her thirteenth birthday, she was taken to Simeon for her first assignment.

He held up three pictures. Two of them were adults, and one was of a girl roughly Jenny's age with short brown hair and dark eyes.

"This is Margaret and Even Rotner and their daughter, Clara. They now go by the names Ellie and David Oswald. We already have an operative working on this case—I believe you've met River." Simeon waved River forward.

Jenny nodded to her.

"Your task will be to take out the daughter. Any questions?"

"When should I proceed?"

He tucked his hands behind his back. "You will be contacted by an operative when we feel the time is right."

She nodded.

"There is one other thing," Simeon said, and held up a file. "As part of our agreement, we've found a home to place you in. You're meeting with Dr. David and Rose Tyler in one hour. Do try to look presentable."

Jenny shakily reached out to take the file. "Thank you, sir."

He waved her off, and turned to leave.

The Silence had a talent for speeding up legal proceedings. Jenny was officially adopted by the Tylers and settled into her new home only two months after her first meeting with the couple. She liked them. They never looked down on her or raised their voices at her. Jenny wasn't even sure either them could ever commit a violent act. And their home was a beautiful old structure by the seaside.

Truly, it was everything she had ever dreamed about having.

Jenny had just turned fifteen the night that David came home to announce that he had invited a young man named Matt over for dinner that Wednesday. Rose, of course, accepted the idea with open arms. In all her life Jenny had never known two more generous people. And when David told the story that Matt had told him earlier that evening, even Jenny had to sympathize. She knew what it was like to grow up with that kind of instability.

So, although she was always hesitant when David and Rose invited strangers into the house, she vowed to make this kid Matt feel at home.

Jenny was the first to jump up when the doorbell rang that Wednesday night. "I'll get it!"

She bounded down the stairs—nearly smashing her face into the door in her rush to answer it—and opened it as wide as she could with a beaming smile on her face.

"Hi, I'm Jenny," she said.

A gangly boy with brown hair and kind green eyes all wrapped up in a tweed blazer and bowtie smiled at her. "Name's John Smith."

She cocked her head. "I thought it was Matt?"

He clicked his fingers. "Right—it is, actually."

She squinted her eyes with confusion. "But you just said it was John."

The boy scratched the back of his neck. "Well, technically it is John. You see, my full name is John Matthew Smith, but I go by Matt. Call me Matt. Or Johnny Boy. No, don't call me that—that's a terrible nickname. Call me Matt." He held out his hand.

She took it hesitantly. "Okay then, Johnny Boy."

He shook his head. "No, no, _Matt_."

She grinned. "Oh, we're going to have a lot of fun you and me. Come in."

She found a message on her burner cell later that night, and quickly closed her bedroom door before checking it.

 _Received 9:50 PM_

 _Task is complete. Target EO has been terminated._

Jenny looked at the picture of Clara Oswald again. It was her turn.

 _Fin._


End file.
